How to watch Euro 2012 online

Stream games live or catch up on-demand

The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, aka Euro 2012, kicks off on Friday 8 June and runs until 1 July. Hosted by Poland and Ukraine, UK football fans will be able to get their football fix free through the BBC and ITV. Here, we show you how to watch Euro 2012 online, live or on-demand.

Provided you have a valid TV licence, you can tune in live or catch up on-demand through your PC, laptop, tablet, smartphone or games console. The coverage is free to watch, but it's worth checking your data allowance if you don't subscribe to a broadband package with unlimited downloads and want to avoid a hefty bill. See Broadband Advisor.

Unless you're in an area with strong 3G coverage, also check that a reliable Wi-Fi connection is available to enable smooth streaming of the Euro 2012 football fixtures. After all, you'd hate your connection to drop out just as England scored that winning goal…

Watch Euro 2012 online: Live

TVCatchup.com lets you watch live free-to-air UK television on your computer, phone or games console. Versions of the site optimised for iPad and iPhone are available at ipad.tvcatchup.com and iphone.tvcatchup.com.

Head to TVCatchup.com and click the Sign Up button to begin. You'll need to enter a username, email address and password, then click Submit.

Once logged in, you're presented with a channel list. Euro 2012 will be broadcast by BBC and ITV; choose the correct channel for the particular fixture you want to watch live online. You can also change the stream quality, which is useful if you don't have a particularly fast broadband connection.

If this is the first time you've used TVCatchup, it will prompt you to update your profile with your gender, date of birth and occupation before you can begin watching live TV. On the following screen you will also need to select your region preference, then click Update Region.

TVCatchup kicks off with an ad or two, then immediately begins streaming your chosen TV channel. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the game.

Watch Euro 2012 online: Catch up on-demand

BBC and ITV both offer free catch-up TV services, in the form of iPlayer and ITV Player, which are available online or through dedicated apps for Android, iOS, games consoles, media PCs and TVs.

Watch Euro 2012 online: BBC iPlayer

iPlayer is the BBC's free catch-up TV service. Programmes are available for seven days following their transmission, but note that the service's Download and Series Record features are not usually available for sporting events, such as Euro 2012.

To watch Euro 2012 on a Windows, Mac or Linux PC, simply head to bbc.co.uk/iplayer for the desktop version of the site. Dedicated apps are available from Google Play and the App Store for Android 2.2+ tablets and the iPad respectively, while Xbox 36, PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii owners can stream content from Xbox Live, the PlayStation Network or through a Wii app.

If the fixture you're after isn't featured in the top panel, choose BBC One in the TV Channels section to the bottom left. The following screen will show the programme listings for the past seven days; you can also view today's guide and listings for the next two days. Click the date on which the match was broadcast in the timeline at the top of the screen.

Scroll down to find and select the fixture in the list. Click the arrow in the video frame to begin playback. Clicking again on the preview window reveals options to pause, fast-forward and rewind the action, turn on subtitles, and watch the match full-screen or in a pop-out window.

Below the stream are links to more games; look to the bottom of the screen for a Lower Bandwidth setting if you're experiencing trouble with playback.

Watch Euro 2012 online: ITV Player

The process for watching past football fixtures via ITV Player is much the same as it is for BBC iPlayer. Browse to itv.com/itvplayer on a PC or laptop, or download the dedicated app for your chosen platform from its app store.

Scroll down the home page to find the 'Browse by day' section. The default view is for ITV 1, but you can click the channel icons to switch to ITV 2, 3 and so on.

Choose the date on which the game took place, then use the arrows to the left and right of the featured programs to find it. Click on the game to open its dedicated page, then click the large Play now button to begin playback.

As with iPlayer, the page will also list other games and some information about the match. Hover the mouse over the screen to pause, fast-forward or rewind the action, turn on subtitles, adjust the volume or maximise the screen. Note that, unlike iPlayer, ITV Player plays a short advert before the match will begin.

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Comments

John Graham said: If you were lucky enough to get tickets use the 3G Dongle MiFi to access internet in Londonhttpwwwgobabymobilecompr

SoccersClub said: Watch onhttpwwwsoccersclubcomthe trusted site for live streamingRecommend for HD quality live streaming

jnw93 said: mite have to tryTVCatchup now starts inabit

Matt Egan said: To watch free to air TV content you are supposed to have a TV licence no matter how you watch it

Stef said: Do you know if its legal to use TVCatchup without a TV Licence Thanks

T Vision said: TVCatchup is the only site worth bothering about IMHO all the channels free of charge great quality helpful forums Good article thanks for saying it as it is

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